Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Photography on September 6 2014, by Matt Newman
The roses are particularly flirty in September, when perhaps the promise of the coming fall chill has them blooming with abandon.
Rosa ‘Kiss Me’ in the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden – Photo by Amy Weiss
Posted in Programs and Events on September 5 2014, by Andy Garden
September has kicked off to a beautiful start here at NYBG, which means there is still time to snap those enviable summer photos with your friends and family. From our Aquatic House to Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens, the scenery is so magnificent that a filter won’t be necessary.
Unlike the Garden’s luster, not everything across the 250 acres is everlasting. This weekend marks the end of the Garden-wide summer exhibition Groundbreakers: Great American Gardens and The Women Who Designed Them. With all of the Haupt Conservatory’s flowers and set pieces still looking as fresh as they did on day one, good luck not getting caught daydreaming of a sunny stroll through the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden in Maine. Still need more convincing? Have a look at what various media sources are saying about Groundbreakers!
Head beyond the jump for the full schedule of weekend programs at NYBG, including musical performances and film screenings. All-Garden Passes are available online and include admission to all of the exhibitions and public programs on the day of your visit.
Posted in Photography on September 5 2014, by Matt Newman
Helen’s Garden for the Senses in the Home Gardening Center – Photo by Patricia Gonzalez
Posted in Photography on September 4 2014, by Matt Newman
By the Conservatory Pools – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Programs and Events on September 3 2014, by Andy Garden
Today’s Greenmarket includes a vibrant array of plums situated amongst a hefty selection of butternut squash, Yukon Gold potatoes, spicy peppers, and even apple blueberry crumble pie!
When there’s no escaping what feels like summer’s hottest week, why not just fight fire with fire? Habanero chilies, with their citrus-like flavor and floral aroma, are an integral part of Yucatecan cuisine. Daunting reputation aside, the habanero’s heat mixes nicely with sweet. Try adding a kick to your breakfast these upcoming weeks with some habanero apricot jam.
Be sure to visit the upcoming schedule for future special programs, demos, and Q&As at the Wednesday Greenmarket. GrowNYC’s calendar of what’s in season will guide you through autumn’s freshest fruits and vegetables.
Posted in Photography on September 3 2014, by Matt Newman
Victoria amazonica in the Conservatory Pools – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Gardening Tips on September 2 2014, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
Sonia Uyterhoeven is NYBG‘s Gardener for Public Education.
Last week I was on the Diller-von Furstenberg sundeck of The High Line, looking out at the Hudson River. From the sundeck you’ll find the closest and least obstructed views of the waterfront. The design of The High Line is broken up into different ecosystems, including a thicket, woodland, grassland, and a wetland area. The sundeck features plants found in marsh and wetland ecosystems. As you relax on the chaise lounges situated around the sundeck, it’s as if you are sitting amongst flora on the river’s edge.
I was leading an avid group of gardeners from my August Membership tour during this particular visit to The High Line, and we were admiring the rose mallows, of which the site has two different species. One is the swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos ssp. palustris). This flower is commonly found growing on riverbanks, in freshwater and brackish marshes, swamps, floodplains, and wet meadows. It’s an adaptable native that doesn’t mind getting its feet wet, while it’s also tolerant of brackish water and deer resistant to boot. Swamp rose mallow has lovely pink flowers and makes a nice, full display on The High Line, tucked in with cattails (Typha laxmannii and Typha minima). It reaches 4-6 feet tall, flowers from July through September, and is hardy from Zones 4 to 9.
Posted in Horticulture on September 2 2014, by Kristin Schleiter
Kristin Schleiter is the NYBG’s Associate Vice President of Outdoor Gardens and Senior Curator. She oversees the wonderful gardening team that keeps our flowering gardens looking top notch, curates the herbaceous gardens and collections, and manages the curator of woody plants. She lives and gardens in Fairfield, CT.
Deadheading or removing spent flowers is an important task in the late summer garden. Simply follow the stem under a spent flower down to the larger stem it branches off from and clip it off. Deadheading has several benefits, the most obvious being that it can make your garden look neater. Removing the spent flowers can also push side buds to break, yielding a thicker and lusher plant. Removing the spent flowers and thus the potential seed from the plant can make many plants continue to bloom in an effort to create seed and to propagate themselves. Of course, the extra benefit of removing seed is that you are also removing all the work you would have to do weeding out unwanted seedlings!
Some perennials that can be very heavy seeders are garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), hosta, columbine, many of the different decorative onions (Allium) and black-eyed Susan (there are lots of different Rudbeckia and most are heavy seeders if the conditions are right). Sometimes, as with the Rudbeckia, there is a trade off. You can remove the seeds to be sure of less work or you can leave them and enjoy the goldfinches that will sit on the seed heads and have a lovely lunch. Many seedheads can also look lovely into the winter, providing architecture in your garden long after the blossoms have faded. Of course, letting plants seed on their own can be a wonderful way to increase the size of your garden without spending any money!
Posted in Photography on September 2 2014, by Matt Newman
A silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus) in the Home Gardening Center – Photo by Patricia Gonzalez
Posted in Photography on August 31 2014, by Matt Newman
Nymphaea in the Conservatory Pools – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen